The Abundant Life

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

 

Why not live a life like seemingly everyone if it’s more fun, right?  Obviously, a Christian life will seem silly to people who just don’t get it.  They don’t get that the life of a Christian is better.   Well, they might think it’s better, but it surely can’t be fun too, right.   That is also wrong.

 

OK, well, in this verse above who is the thief?   The thief would be Satan and his goal is, so you don’t see this other reality, this better reality, this reality that could even be satisfying in all ways.

 

Anyway, it seems statistically the thief or wolf, as it called in other verses, is successful.  This is because the whole of armor of God is not used and I think a critical component is alone time with God, as discussed in the previous post.

 

 

 

Taking Time to Be with God Alone

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Well, God is always there with you, but are you really with God?  This seems contradictory, but it’s like if you’re with your grandma at a supermarket vs having a conversation with her privately.

Anyway, the verse mentioned above might not seem very important, but it’s incredibly important!  In fact, that can make or break a Christian life in my opinion.   In fact, a close relationship with the Lord is the way break free of idols and truly live in the spirit.

One Left and the Other Taken

Matthew 24:3
One will be taken, and the other one will be left. GNT. At that time two men will be working in a field: one will be taken away, the other will be left behind.

 

The floods in Asheville etc. have gotten me thinking about this. Well, actually I was prompted from reading a video where this was brought up. Anyhow, the thing I get from it is how life is taken very fast. There’s no real security in the future, yet people worship idols which are all about the future. However, the Bible speaks of only one future to be prepared for, the eternal future. In fact, this verse seems to referencing a possible end-times scenario. Note: I say possible because nothing is set. For instance, Nineveh was scheduled to be destroyed, only for God to change his mind on repentance of the people.

 

Well, my view of this verse isn’t the only one because not everyone has the same view of the end-times. Many believe in a rapture theory, but I don’t follow it. What I do see, if there is no repentance, is cosmic judgement from the sky. In this case, this might not be about picking out the good ones, but rather just the sad situation of surviving or not surviving a cosmic disaster.

 

In fact, once things go down, I don’t think “good or bad” will matter as far as keeping you alive, but it always matters for eternal destiny. Of course, “good” is living in God’s grace.

 

Serving Two Masters

Matthew 6:24-26 Amplified Bible (AMP)“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Why not serve two or more masters?  What’s the big deal?  How about variety?  Well, like most Bible things, this is a deep topic.  However, it can be summed up as the individual vs idols and how idols are empty, in there is no real spiritual nourishment, so it leads to a fake existence.

Anyway, it’s difficult, though, for people in this world to grasp this concept, so hence, the other verse about “The Narrow Way”.

What do you feel in your life keeps you from giving all-in-all?   Why do you keep falling for the lie?